Melissa Gregory Rue writes, directs, and produces films and series that examine neglected social issues to inspire compassionate action on our planet. Her short drama “Esperanza’s Turn” has screened in 22 festivals around the globe and won seven awards including Best Director at the Oregon Short Film Festival and the Rising Star Award at the Colorado International Activism Film Festival. Currently, Melissa is in post-production on a feature documentary, Live Out Loud, the story of three people experiencing homelessness in Portland, Oregon, who are empowered and begin to heal from childhood trauma by learning to make films. The film was scored by The Gallop Quintet, featuring Kidd Jordan on sax, Hamid Drake on percussion, Alex de Grassi on guitar, and Don Paul on spoken word. In addition to working on her own projects, Melissa co-produces Connectivity Project, a documentary series about people and organizations making a positive impact on our interconnected world. In 2021 she joined the board of the McMinnville Short Film Festival. Before shifting her focus to filmmaking, Melissa taught writing and literature at Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon for many years.